Conan - Gamemaster's Toolkit

 

Robert E. Howard’s

ADVENTURES IN AN AGE UNDREAMED OF System Design Benn Graybeaton, Nathan Dowdell & Jay Little

 Art Direction Direct ion Mischa Thomas

Line Development  Jason Durall Durall & Chris Lites Lites

Lead Graphic Design & Layout Michal E. Cross

 Writing Marc Langworthy & Jason Durall

 Additional Graphic G raphic Design Desi gn & Layout Dan Algstrand, Thomas Shook & Malcolm Wolter

 Approvals Patrice Louinet & Jerey Shanks

Produced by  Chris Birch

Editing & Proofreading  Jason Durall, Ian Finch & Chris Chris Lites

Operations Manager Garry Harper

Gamemaster Screen Artwork Brom

Community Support Lloyd Gyan

Gamemaster’s Toolkit Cover Artwork Michal E. Cross

Publishing Assistant Sam Webb

Interior Artwork Michal E. Cross, Shen Fei, Nick Greenwood, Frédéric Le Martelot, Diana Martínez & Steve Stark

 With Thanks To The Robert E. Howard Foundation, Professor John Kirowan, H.P. Lovecraft, Fred & Jay at Cabinet Entertainment Published by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 3rd Floor, Ashbourne House, 35 Harwood Road, London. SW6 4QP United Kingdom

Legal © 2017 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). Conan Conan,, Conan The Barbarian, Barbarian, Hyboria Hyboria and  and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. All rights reserved. Robert E. Howard and Howard and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Robert E. Howard Properties Inc. All rights reserved. system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment The 2d20 system and Entertainment Ltd. 2015–2017. system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment All 2d20 system text Entertainment Ltd. Some artworks use elements taken from vecteezy.com vecteezy.com.. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a ctional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of ction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. Printed by SKN Druck und Verlag GmbH & Co. KG., Stellmacherstr. 14, D-26506 Norden, Germany.

 

“Well, Ascalante,” said the Stygian, “your dupes have slunk into the streets like rats from their burrows. You work with strange tools.”

— Thoth-Amon, “The Phoenix on the Sword”

reating a tale that would challenge even Conan can be a daunting task for even the most experienced gamemaster. The sheer pacing and intensity of the stories that Robert E. Howard created to unravel the mysteries of the Hyborian Age often raises readers to a lofty peak of savage joy and accomplishment, before plunging them headlong into a pit of despair and misfortune due to a strange twist of fate or an act of harrowing sorcery — only to nally see the hero triumph over adversity in a pulse-pounding climax that leaves the reader gasping for breath and craving more! Unfortunately, this toolkit cannot teach how to write tales of ction that could rival those of Conan’s creator. It will, however, explore sources of inspiration that are designed to prompt any number of adventures that could take place anywhere within Conan’s world. The toolkit also oers expert advice on pacing and drama — two very important components of any pulp adventure — and includes ways to alter them using both the gamemaster’s very own tool, Doom, and Momentum, the player’s counterpart. Several other plot devices, from hooks and themes to supporting cast, are also explored before the toolbox unleashes a series of tables designed to help the gamemaster create romping tales of sword-and-sorcery that will rouse even the most addled of debauched sorcerers from their lotus-induced dreams.

 WEIRD TALES  WEIRD TALES AND AND FIGHT STORIES Conan has been crafted to return to the barbarian’s roots and seeks to remain true to the tone of the original manuscripts as written by Howard. This can rightly cause a certain amount of self-doubt and trepidation for the gamemaster when seeking to craft epic tales that will be talked t alked about by players for years to come. To help overcome this stage fright, several fonts of inspiration will be examined that should serve to energize even the most assured storytellers, as well as the timid. Before continuing, however, it is worth taking time here to refresh some of the points that were addressed within the corebook. This interpretation of Conan’s world is arguably one of the truest reections of the Hyborian Age to date, and it assumes that those playing the game are seeking sword-and-sorcery adventures with larger-than-life heroes of a Howardian bent. The players should be certain that their characters will be wrestling with otherworldly evils, contending with diabolical sorceries, and exploring inaccessible ancient ruins, with little more than their trusty weapons and the clothes they left home with, and the gamemaster should be more than willing to provide these opportunities!

 

2

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

True to their pulp inspirations, Howard’s tales were brimming with action, adventure, agony, romance, low points that brought the reader to the edge of despair, and high points that left them wanting to shout with exhilaration. It is this exhausting pace that the Conan game seeks to invoke. That said, there are other themes that can certainly be explored within the setting that could oer a change of pace or break from the norm, with one or two of these being examined further within the toolkit.

 A CONSPIR CONSPIRATOR ATOR’S ’S GAIN The gamemaster preparing a campaign — whether their own or one taken from the pages of the Conan sourcebooks — should strive to remember an important consideration that can sometimes be forgotten amidst the fervor of preparing to run the game: a roleplaying game is a storytelling tool for the enjoyment of everyone involved. Conan only seldom sought to adventure alone, and he frequently managed to stumble upon strange companions in unlikely places. Although they may seem like bizarre allies in a game that is intended to pit the player characters directly against the gamemaster’s devilry, seeking inspiration from the players and ensuring that they are also enjoying

themselves will provide a real and tangible boost to every gaming table; a campaign that is only being enjoyed by the person running it risks suering a swift and ignominious end. Before opening the campaign, the gamemaster should take some time to understand the motivations and desires of both the players and their characters. Although roleplaying games are designed to oer players the opportunity to wear someone else’s shoes for a short time, the line can and often becomes blurred between the player’s and character’s personality. personality. Understanding a little of what has motivated them both to adventure will help in tailoring dierent elements of the story to everyone’s satisfaction. Another consideration to oer is in allowing the players to drive the story, which can be achieved in several ways. Firstly, the gamemaster should use the character’s and their backstories to provide recognizable links to immerse the players in the game; a named relative that arrives to oer advice, or a sworn enemy that is current news in the local region, for instance. Second, the gamemaster oer the players themselves the opportunity to occasionally drive the story, both inside and outside of combat. Momentum is a great mechanism for instigating this, as it provides a player with numerous options to carry their success for wards. Allowing players the chance to oer unique and

innovative Momentum spends will be rewarding for them and will enable the story to ow more freely.

 

 3

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

PULP INSPIRATION Even battle-scarred dog-brothers and veteran sword-sisters can benet from searching for inspiration when rst taking the steps to prepare a game set within the Hyborian Age. Many sources can provide a spark to ignite a tale of barbaric

savagery worthy of the sagas. This section of the toolkit oers a perspective on several inuential examples and provides an insight into media that might be considered when rst preparing a campaign. Not an exhaustive list by any means, as there are numerous other sources that can be equally as inspiring. The gamemaster should not feel in any way limited by the examples oered here.

THE SCHOLARLY MEDIUM Like most of his works, Conan was given literary life through the keys of Howard’s treasured Underwood typewriter. The written word is where Conan has garnered most his fame and exposure, so it is tting that this is the rst place that inspiration should be sought.

LETTING THE STORY UNFOLD Howard was a master at revealing the background to his characters and their current story within a few succinct paragraphs that often took the form of revealing conversations between the main protagonists. There is nothing wrong with following this example when opening a campaign. In fact, it allows the game to open on the action without any preamble, which is something else that Howard achieved with practiced ease. His introductions hooked the reader straight in to the visceral and exotic experiences of Conan in a pulp magazine that oered limited space. A gamemaster, of course, is working without such limits, but what better way could there be to enjoy a romping adventure than throwing the players into the thick of the action from the outset. There are a few points to take care of before diving straight in: ■

midst of a titanic battle with little preamble if they would prefer to rst develop plausible backgrounds that take them to the opening point of the game.

The Boxer and the Bullfnch

What better source of inspiration can there be for a campaign set within the Hyborian Age than the very works that unveiled Conan’s exploits to the world. This game   line  has taken the setting back to its roots of course, so line avoiding the more heavily redacted versions of Howard’s works is highly recommended to gain an insight into the moods and themes that Conan seeks to recreate. Del Rey Books recently published three volumes that remain true to Howard’s original manuscripts, while the Gollancz UK editions and Gutenberg Australia e-texts draw primarily upon the original Weird Tales pulp magazine versions. It is also important to understand the inuences that Howard himself drew upon when imagining the world in which Conan adventured; becoming a student of him in a literary sense reveals historical auspices that are recognizable within the Conan tales, and leads to several jewels of inspiration for new adventures suitable for a freshly-minted batch of largerthan-life scoundrels, rogues, and opportuni opportunistic stic warriors.

The Conan Game A lot of emphasis has been placed upon making this edition of the Conan roleplaying game as truly reminiscent of Howard’s original Conan works as possible. The corebook is replete with guidance on how to create and run engaging characters and adventures set within the Hyborian Age. Perhaps even more so than Howard’s works, this should be a necessary port of call for the gamemaster looking for

inspiration, as it has been designed to oer clear direction on how best to represent a pulse-pounding pulp Conan-style Conan-style

Ensure that everyone involved understands and agrees with how the campaign will begin. There is little point in dropping the player characters into the

■

Other than a few minor notes on race and religion, for instance, invest each player with the ability to develop their character’s background during play. Involve the players from the outset and allow them to oer up snippets of how they came to be involved in current events as the game unfolds. Be prepared also to oer minor experience point rewards at the close of the opening session for any player that helped their character’s involvement unfold in interesting and dramatic ways.

tale on the tabletop. The chapter on gamemastering will of be especially useful to the gamemaster, as it oers not only denitive advice on how to manage and run a game and many of its facets, but also explores many of the themes that are prevalent throughout the Conan tales, such as action and conict, horror and dread, and strange horizons.

Other Pulp Fiction Created as a cheap, mass-market means to provide literary entertainment to the working class of America, pulp ction magazines became a veritable breeding ground for creative talent and helped launch the careers of many of

literary greats still highly-regarded today. Although there are many subgenres to pulp ction, some of them clearly

 

4

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT he also inspired his fellows to both borrow from and contribute to each other’s works. Professor Kirowan became a recurring character in Howard’s many contributionss to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; an contribution intriguing facet that gifted the Texan author with the entitlement to slip the odd nod to the Hyborian Age into the dark tales of gothic horror. The voice of the archaeologistt Kirowan can also be heard throughout archaeologis the Conan corebook, so seeking inspiration from such a clear link would certainly be protable.

DERIVED INSPIRATION Conan extols the virtues of enjoying the game embodying the spirit of Conan’s creator, and rightly so; enjoying the setting as presented by Howard is one of the best ways to indulge that inclination. The toolkit has already examined a few Howard’s other works as a possible means of inspiration,, but just how would that be achieved within inspiration the context of a sword-and-sorce sword-and-sorcery ry setting? For example, look at the El Borak tale “Three-Bladed Doom”. Only recently has this work been restored to the original long and short versions as produced by Howard. Prior to this, “Three-Bladed Doom” had been re-worked into the pastiche Conan novella “The Flame Knife”. While its outlining plot and drama remained largely the same, its dening elements had been re-skinned to transport Francis X. Gordon from the harsh landscapes of Afghanistan and deposit him in the stony wilds of Iranistan, morphing him into the blue-eyed Cimmerian in the process. A sense of how to borrow inspiration from Howard’s non-Conan works might therefore be gained by com-

■

paring “Three-Bladed —that the recently restored original, not the editedDoom” versions came earlier — to its hybrid descendant.

stand out as interconnected parts to Howard’s own swordand-sorcery subgenre. Listing all the available ction and tales would be a monumental task far beyond the scope of this book, but the gamemaster would readily nd inspiration for their games within the works of the two prolic pulp legends Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, A Princess of of Mars, and numerous others). Pulp writers and stories that directly inuenced Conan’s development include the Cossack tales of Harold Lamb, the Hyperborean Cycle of Clark Ashton Smith, the  Jimgrim series by Talbot Mundy, the pirate pirate novels novels of Rafael Rafael Sabatini, and H. P. Lovecraft (“The Call of Cthulhu”, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”, and numerous others). Howard himself contributed to several pulp outlets beyond the Weird Tales magazine; again, it would pay dividends to track down some of his other works that appeared within the pages of   Fight Stories, Oriental Stories, Top-Notch, and others. Some great examples of these include: ■

■

The Francis Xavier Gordon (El Borak) Stories: The fast-paced stories follow the exploits of the Texan gunslinger aectionately known as “El Borak” in post-Imperial Afghanistan. They sit rmly within the adventure genre of pulp ction, yet often share similarities with themes that Howard explored in his sword-and-sorcery tales. Of Irish and Scottish descent, Gordon is portrayed as a diamond in the rough; an untamed-yet-civilized man with a dangerous edge. He has no love for the English, though he tolerates them as the lesser of two evils when faced with other imperialist nations seeking to impose their will on his beloved tribesmen. El Borak’s whirlwind adventures across the crags and sands of Afghanistan can provide a wide range of adventure hooks and character inspiration for the gamemaster. The story “Country of the Knife”, for example, contains a character named Vladimir  Jackrovitc  Jack rovitch h who is a clearl clearly y a spiritu spiritual al descenden descendentt of the Zaporoskan adventurer Olgerd Vladislav, from “A Witch Shall Be Born”. Both are ambitious, tall, grey-eyed northerners who rose to power in the desert, forming outlaw bands and dreaming of empires. The Solomon Kane Stories: Perhaps Howard’s second most famous hero, Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane had a wide-ranging career, venturing across Europe and into the deepest heart of Africa. He fought all manner foes, human and otherwise, and explored a variety of lost cities and cursed places. Though driven by religious fervor, Kane was surprisingly worldly, one of his few recurring allies an African sorcerer, and willing to use magic to smite supernatusupernatu ral evil. His stories would be relatively easy to adapt for Conan, requiring few changes.

The Professor John Kirowan Stories: The younger son of an Irish noble family and an expert on both the Cthulhu Mythos and lost civilizations, the good professor grew out of Howard’s friendship and correspondence with H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the

Others: Howard was vastly prolic, and a list of all his characters would dominate this toolkit, but inspiration can easily be drawn from the following: Pictish king Bran Mak Morn; French mercenary swordswoman Dark Agnes de Chastillon (partial inspiration for the “inspired by Howard” character Red Sonja);

so-called “Lovecraft Circle”. Lovecraft encouraged all the Circle’s members to push each other’s boundaries:

adventuress Red Sonya of Rogatino (the other source of Red Sonja’s inspiration); Crusader knight Cormac

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GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT Fitzgeorey; American adventurer Kirby O’Donnell; Irish pirates Cormac Mac Art and Black Vulmea; and another pirate, Helen Tavrel. Even the aforementioned El Borak had a Sikh ally, El Singh, who had three Howard stories devoted to his solo exploits. Such was the nature of their adventures that they could be easily transformed into Conan adventures, and Howard himself borrowed liberally from his earlier works, returning to common themes and story elements repeatedly.

INSPIRATION FROM OTHER MEDIUMS The tales of Conan of Cimmeria have inspired countless editions, comics, a handful of movies and roleplaying games, several spin-os and video games, and — more recently — a phenomenally successful board game. It is not the purpose of this toolkit to oer insight and critique to any one of these sources of Conan material; each one should be approached and judged own its own merits by the gamemaster and players alike. As constantly reinforced throughout the corebook and this toolkit, the intent of Conan is to return to Howard’s original writings and use them as a platform to create immersive tales of sword-and-sorcery. Rather than dissecting anything that has appeared in the wake of Howard’s works, the passages that follow will seek to oer inspirational works from outside the world of Conan that perhaps might not have been considered otherwise.

PULP PACING  AND DRAM DRAMA A Creating adventures that emulate the classic pulp tales that have been a popular form a storytelling since the late 19th century can seem a daunting prospect. Luckily, plenty of advice is readily available from many dierent sources, including — but not limited to — the magazines and tales themselves and a number of internet resources. Of course, these tools can aid in constructing a piece of pulp ction, but are not necessarily designed to assist with designing a tabletop roleplaying adventure. Understanding the nuances of pulp writing, however, will certainly help to recreate the intense action and drama in a game. There is a well-documented formula to pulp stories that has served authors of this genre unfailingly across the years. Luckily, the gamemaster and the players have two unique tools available to them that can be used to adjust the pacing and drama of an adventure in order to provide intense drama and pacing at the tabletop: Doom and Momentum.

5

DOOM The gamemaster’s mechanism to completely alter the pacing of a scene. Doom and its mechanics are covered within the Conan corebook, so the purpose here is to provide some insight into using the Doom pool as a storytelling tool. It should not be feared, but embraced.

When designing adventures or preparing for a game, it can be prudent to create a number of unique encounter spends to cater for the environments and challenges that the player characters will be facing during the session. For example, if the player characters are due for a frantic ght against a group of slavers on the dockside, spend some time beforehand designing some unique twists for the scene, such as making movement dicult due to a freak swell or spilt blood, swinging booms designed to shift crates becoming loose, or cutpurses attempting to steal the character’s coin while they are distracted with the melee. Consider reinforcements also, especially as a means to uphold the pace or pile on the misery. In the previous dockside case, unspent Doom could be used to summon the city watch, who themselves can be

given a few options that are dependent upon the outcome: they could mistake the player characters’ identities, or have been bought out and therefore bolster the slavers’ forces if the ght has become one-sided. Alternately, the watch could wait out the ght and attempt to arrest the player characters once the ght concludes, which leads to a tense stando or an additional combat, and possibly a visit to the cells.

 

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

6 Here are some further examples of preparations made before a game: ■

In Search of the Heart: The gamemaster has chosen to involve the player characters in an adventure that mirrors the classic story “The Tower of the Elephant”. Beforehand, the gamemaster notes down several Doom spends that can be used to alter the pacing and encounencoun ters of the setting. Some simple Doom spends present themselves immediately in the form of animals that can raise the alarm by being startled from the shrubshrub bery and loose coping stones on top of the wall that can cause a player character to fall. Some reinforcements in the form of a rival group of thieves inside the garden is also introduced, though they must all contend with the lions that are a planned part of the encounter. A torturtortur ous wind that induces a dicult climb is also included, before the gamemaster makes one nal note to hold back some Doom for the demonic spider that guards the entrance at the top of the tower.

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Mutiny!: The player characters are part of, or have

MOMENTUM Momentum is used by the players to bolster their successes, fuel their drive forwards, and overcome the desperate odds that often stack against them. Many common Momentum spends and their associated costs are presented within the core rulebook, but again, it can be greatly benecial to the pacing and drama of an adventure for the gamemaster to prepare a few Momentum spends specic to each intended encounter before beginning a game. The gamemaster should also encourage the players to nd create ways to build a narrative using Momentum, so that the game feels more organic and has a sense of owing like a story. For example, two characters, Athala and Demetrius, are attempting to break free from a dungeon, but must rst overcome the guards that block their route. Athala opts to stand ready and wait for the guards to move within range of her attack, while Demetrius uses her as a shield and begins to hurl rocks at the guards. Demetrius oors a guard with a cunningly hurled rock, but unfortunately for the player characters, the remaining guard decides to attack from range and looses a crossbow bolt in their direction. Athala attempts to dodge the incoming bolt and succeeds so spectacularly that she generates  3 Momentum. Momentum. The gamema gamemaster ster immediat immediately ely informs informs  Athala’ss player  Athala’ player that the the Momentum Momentum can be used used to not only roll within Reach of the guard that red the shot, but will also allow her to take the attack against the guard that she had been saving as a Readied action. Athala’s character accepts and downs the remaining guard, which keeps the story owing and launches immediately into a desperate escape before additional guards appear.

been captured by, a roving band of freebooters. A mutiny sparks during the voyage, embroiling the player characters in a desperate ght to overwhelm the opposing crew. Beforehand, the gamemaster plots some dastardly Doom spends that include: sharks appearing once bodies begin to fall overboard, the galley catching re thanks to a cooking re being untended, a number of critical sail positions becombecoming damaged and needing repair, and the ship’s wheel being wildly out of control, invoking Acrobatics tests due to the erratic sway of the ship — which pairs nicely with the shark-infested waters. As a nal addition, the gamemaster notes down a special Doom spend in the form of a rival buccaneer ship that can be foreshadowed to later appear and be used to pile

The following examples re-examine the Doom preparations above, but are taken from a Momentum perspective

on or maintain the drama of a climactic encounter.

instead:

The Depths of Despair: The player characters are deposited in the depths of a terror-lled dungeon, but rather than map every room and encounter beforehand, the gamemaster decides to note down a few key encounters and introduce others through clever use of Doom. Several nasty surprises in the form of traps are planned, as are Doom spends that alter the environment for the player characters: sluice gates that open to make the oor slick, gusts of frigid air that extinguish torches, poor masonry that collapses around a piton. Finally, the gamemaster introduces one or two reinforcement Doom spends that can be used to spice up other encounters, such as ghouls that arrive as the player characters are scaling a wall and rat things in search of carrion, attracted by the sounds of combat.

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In Search of the Heart: The gamemaster builds a Momentum spend into the encounter concerning the startled animals in the shrubs, and decides that Momentum can be used to potentially capture an animal. It can then be used as a diversionary tactic against the lions inside the garden. Additionally, the gamemaster decides to reward the successful application of a grappling hook to the tower’s roof by allowing the use of Momentum here to provide additional security to the climb; a couple of points of Momentum can be used to oset some of the Diculty modiers imposed by the torturous wind. Mutiny!: Some Momentum spends are built into the encounter that allow the player characters to use parts of the ship as a weapon: errant sail booms that

 

7

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT can be used to sweep enemies into the sea, barrels that can be hurled to knockdown foes, and similar eects. These can also work for the non-player characters, as additional Doom spends. ■

The Depths of Despair: Here the gamemaster decides to introduce a few Momentum spends that tie in with the reinforcement options that have

Pulp adventures — including Howard’s tales — are packed with supporting cast members that provide added depth and drama to the tale. The supporting cast are themselves a tool that can drive the plot forward or provide an additional moment of intense drama within a plot that is layered in tension: a princess snatched from the player characters’ grasps, an able-bodied thief that blunders into a trap on the player character’s behalf, or an accompanying mer-

cenary captain who has sold out the player characters to the highest bidder. Much like Momentum and Doom, non-player characters can be used to provide pacing and suspense to any adventure, though this should often be when least expected. If the player characters happily side-step the perils that are placed in their path, have the occasional non-player character blunder into the trap, emphasizing the danger they avoided. Likewise, if the player characters prefer to talk their way out of every ght, a ery non-player character can dash their hopes by sparking a brawl. Not every action that the player characters perform should be railroaded in this fashion — the players need to understand that they have actions will have an impact upon the storyline without it being trampled by a non-player character every time — but they should never be disregarded as a tactic to introduce tension and drama; after all, even non-player characters have their own thoughts and feelings within the context of the world that the gamemaster is unveiling. Play to each non-player character’s strengths and exploit their weaknesses, but never let them take center stage and reduce the player characters to a side-show. The player characters are the protagonists of the adventure, the non-player characters the supporting cast. Whether at the start of an adventure, or as a quick introduction during an unfolding scene, the following tables can be used to rapidly provide building blocks and answer a few questions about a non-player character to make them presentable at the tabletop. One or two rolls on the Interesting Quirks table should be sucient to provide a memorable description, whereas the Nationalities table will immediately answer the question of ancestry.

been created. If they successfully resist the ghoul’s attempts to dislodge them from the climb, the player characters can use Momentum to turn themselves into living weapons against the undead creatures, or if the player characters detect the approach of the rat thing while combating other foes, Momentum may be used to place their initial enemy between themthemselves and the new threat.

NATIONALITIES Ro l l

Nati onali ty

2

Hyperborea

3

Border Kingdom

4

Nordheim: Asgard or Vanaheim

5

Cimmeria

6

Bossonian Marches

7–8 9–10

Gunderland Aquilonia

11–12

Koth

13–14

Nemedia

15–16

Ophir

17–18

Brythunia

19–20

Argos

21–22

Zamora

23–24

Shem

25–26

Stygia

27

Corinthia

28

Zingara

29 30

Khoraja Khauran

31

Kush

32

Darfar

34

Keshan

35

Punt

36

Zembabwei

37

The Black Kingdoms

38

Turan

39

Iranistan, Ghulistan

40

Hyrkania

 

8

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

INTERESTING QUIRKS Ro l l

Qui rk

2

Eye color is mismatched

3

Prone to bouts of twitching

4

Talks using as few words as possible

5 6

Appears to be constantly distracted Has visible tribal scars or tattoos

7

Swe wea ars ev every ot other wo word du duri rin ng co conv nve ersation

8

Alwa Al ways ys re refe fers rs to a lis listt of of rul rules es,, whi which ch ca can n be be rea reall or or ima imagi gine ned d

9

Constantly dr drinking, but ne never se seems dr drunk

10

Slips as many quotes and gures of speech as possible into conversation

11

Is extremely irtatious, but seems shocked if anyone responds

12

Abho Ab hors rs ph phys ysic ical al co cont ntac act. t. Vi Visi sibl blyy cle clean anss sel selff if if thi thiss occ occur urss

13

Sports several piercings

14

Perf Pe rfo orm rmss a su supe pers rsttit itio ious us tic to wa ward aw away ay bad lu luck ck

15

Can ne nevver co com mprehend jokes or sarca cassm

16

Holds on to rst impressions and discounts anything that contradicts that opinion

17

Alwa Al ways ys se seek ekss to to obt obtai ain n and and ho hold ld ey eye e con conta tact ct for an unc uncom omfor forta tabl blyy lon longg tim time e

18

Talks in si sibilant whispers

19

Attaches a cost to everything

20

Missing a limb

21

Covered in warts and boils

22

Extremely hairy

23

Laugh ghss ne nerv rvo ously and and in ina appro rop priately

24

Unc nco outh, vu vulgar, or or sp spectacularl rlyy ru rude

25

Very possessive of of an an object or pers rso on

26

Persistent ntlly cla laiims one ne-u -up pmanship

27

Treats everyone with complete disdain

28 29

Always ex expects a negative ou outcome Is a habitual gambler

30

Becomes aggressive when criticized

31

Claims to to kn know so someone in in ev every to town an and ci city

32

Is a glu gluttto ton n (fo (food od,, wea wealt lth, h, pow ower er,, ple plea asu sure re,, et etc. c.))

33

Has an obvious tell when lying

34

Can only talk by shouting

35

Alll co Al conv nver erssat atio ions ns are dra rawn wn ou outt an and d fo form rmal al

36

Struggle less to to ta talk through a hacking co cough

37

Badly disgured by disease

38

Hass ex Ha extr trem emel elyy ob obsc scur ure e tas taste tess in in foo food d an and d dri drink nk

39

Has a terrible catchphrase

40

Constantly re relates in in th the th third pe person

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

9

This toolkit discusses how Howard’s pacing keeps his readers enthralled, but has yet to address the actual titles of his stories. These short and often enigmatic titles served to appeal to the tastes of jaded pulp editors, encouraging them to read the submission, and to the magazines’ readers, getting them to ip to his stories rst. A great title often meant placement on the cover of the magazine magazine,, which was virtually guaranteed to lead to further sales, so Howard crafted his titles to be as catchy as possible. The following tables assist the gamemaster in generating adventure titles in an appropriately Howardian fashion, and can be done before an adventure is created, providing an overall theme for the selection of elements from the

adventure generation system, or it can even be selected afterward and the adventure expanded or augmented so the title makes sense in the context of the adventure. Whenever “The” is indicated before a title, roll a §. A result of 1 or 2 means that “The” remains, and a roll of an Eect switch “The” with “A” or “An”. Remove “The” on any other result. A singular result might be changed to plural, if desired. Roll a § whenever indicated. Add a Descriptor to it if an Eect is rolled. Ignore other results. When using this table, the gamemaster is encouraged to adjust the outcome if a nonsensical or grammatically incorrect result is reached. Repeated terms should merit a re-roll. re-rol l.

TITLE STRUCTURE

OBJECT

Roll

S tru ctu re

R ol l

Ob je c t

1–2

The

 [OBJECT] on the [OBJECT]

1–2

Jewel/Gem/Amulet

3–4

The § § [OBJECT] of the [OBJECT]

3–4

Crown/Scepter/Throne

5–6

The § [ENTITY] in the [LOCATION]

5–6

Skull/Bone

7–8 7– 8

The [O [OBJE JEC CT] of of [O [OBJECT]

7–8 7– 8

Thun Th und der er/R /Ra ain in//Wi Wind nd//St Stor orm m

9–10

A/an [ENTITY] Is/Will Be/ Shall Be [DISPOSITION]

9–10

Weapon (pick: Knife, Sword, Axe, Spear, Blade)

11–12 11 –12

The Th e [D [DIS ISPO POSIT SITIO ION] N] of [E [ENT NTITY ITY]]

11–1 11 –12 2

Nigh Ni ght/ t/Mi Midn dnig ight ht/S /Sha hado dow/ w/Da Dark rkne ness ss

13–1 13 –14 4

[ENT [E NTIT ITY] Y] [LO [LOCA CATI TIO ON]

13–1 13 –14 4

King Ki ngdo dom/ m/Em Empi pire re/L /Lan and/ d/Re Real alm m

15–16

The § [OBJECT]

15–1 15 –16 6

Trib Tr ibe e/P /Peo eop ple le/F /Fo olk

17–18

§ [OBJECT] in [LOCATION] § [ENTITY] of [LOCATION]

17–1 17 –18 8

Flam Fl ame/ e/Fi Fire re/P /Pyr yre/ e/Br Bran and d

19–2 19 –20 0

Circ Ci rcle le/R /Rin ing/ g/Ob Obel elis isk/ k/Co Colu lumn mn

19–20

ENTITY  Roll

En tity

1–2 1– 2

Demo De mon/ n/De Devvil il//Fi Fien end/ d/Ho Horr rror or

3–4

Ghost/Spirit/Specter

5–6

Monste Mon sterr (pic (pick: k: Gho Ghoul, ul, Dwe Dweller ller,, Serp Serpent ent Fol Folk, k, Abo Abomina minatio tion) n)

7–8

Animal (pick (pick:: Vulture, Vulture, Serpen Serpent, t, Eagle, Eagle, Wolf, Raven Raven,, Lion, Lion, Tiger, Tiger, Owl, Owl, Ape, Ape, Rat, Rat, Eagle, Hound Hound,, Hawk) Hawk)

9–10

Noble (pick (pick:: King/Q King/Queen, ueen, Lord/ Lord/Lady Lady,, Empero Emperor/Empr r/Empress, ess, Warlor Warlord, d, Prince Prince/Prince /Princess) ss)

11–1 –12 2

Sorcerer/Witch

13–1 13 –14 4

Prie Pr iest st/P /Pri ries este tesss

15–16

God (r (roll on on Religious Tenets, page 20)

17–18 17–1 8

Mythol Myt hologi ogical cal Anima Animall (pick: (pick: Phoe Phoenix nix,, Dragon, Dragon, Hydr Hydra, a, Mummy Mummy,,

19–20

Undetermined Undete rmined (pick (pick:: Stranger Stranger,, The The One, One, Dweller, Dweller, Lurker Lurker,, Holder, Holder, Keepe Keeper) r)

 

10

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

LOCATION

DISPOSITION

R ol l

Lo cat io n

Ro l l

O bj e c t

1–2

Tower

1–2

Born

3–4 3– 4

Cita Ci tade del/ l/Ca Cast stle le//Fo Fort rtre ress ss

3–4

Cursed

5–6

Cave/Cavern

5–6

Haunted

7–8

City

7–8

Doomed

9–10

River

9–10

L o st

11–12

Pool

11–12

Damned

13–14

Forest

13–14

Spawned

15–16

Temple

15–16

Fallen

17–18

Pit

17–18

Broken

19–20

Tomb/Crypt

19–20

Forgotten

DESCRIPTOR R ol l

De s c r i pt o r

1–4 1– 4

Colo Co lorr (pic (pick: k: Bla Black ck,, Ebon Ebon,, Crim Crimso son, n, Red Red,, Scar Scarle let) t)

5–8 5– 8

Age Ag e (pi (pick ck:: Anc Ancie ient nt,, Eld Elder er,, Old Old))

9–12

Substa Sub stance nce (pick (pick:: Iron, Iron, Steel, Steel, Silve Silver, r, Gold/ Gold/Gol Golden den,, Stone, Stone, Bronz Bronze) e)

13–1 13 –16 6

Temp Te mper erat atur ure e (pic (pick: k: Cold Cold,, Fire/ Fire/Fi Fier ery) y)

17–20 17– 20

Appear App earanc ance e (pick: (pick: Shini Shining, ng, Gleam Gleaming, ing, Jewell Jewelled, ed, Shado Shadowed wed))

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

11

The following tables can inspire a wide range of fraught and deadly adventures. The tables introduced here are meant to assist a gamemaster in designing a perilous and engaging tale that will be similar in construction and pacing to the classic pulp tales that Howard is renowned for. Almost all pulp adventures follow a tried and tested formula, which is something that these tables hope to help the gamemaster emulate at the tabletop. Blazing a trail of renown, heroism, and fame — or infamy — across Conan’s world is something that should be achieved at the culmination of dangerous and breathtaking adventures that involve the player characters thwarting dastardly plots and horric, otherworldly powers. At their heart, these tales of fearless courage should involve overcoming a tangible and identiable threat, though unveiling this menace will likely involve a few unforeseen twists and turns. The tables that follow will almost certainly introduce their own convolutions, some of which may not t the plot that is developing or the loose outline that a gamemaster had in mind — whether this was prior to rolling or as the tables unveiled the story arc. There is no requirement to accept every roll made or even to follow the process through until the end; specic elements can be cherry-picked to suit, re-rolled, or ignored completely. There is something to be said, however, to rolling with the punches and taxing the imagination to make the randomness work. As an additional note, the tables presented here oer themselves as a useful tool during an actual play session, particularly if there is a need to quickly generate a mission objective, person, item, or place.

THE OPENING SCENE Frequently, the opening scene of a pulp adventure places the heroes of the tale in a strange and exotic location that introduces an element of peril through its mere description. Every tale of heroism, adversity, or triumph requires a villain or obstacle as a core central element, regardless of whether that plot device is as direct as a long-slumbering sorcerer of unimaginable power awakening and seeking to rule over all he surveys, or as subtle as conspiracy of rival nobles seeking to overthrow the king. Beginning with the antagonist allows you to frame the context of the overarching plot. Two d20s are rolled for the Opening Setting table, but the dice results are kept separate rather than summating them. The gamemaster is free to choose which column the dice results relate to, but should be sure to check both options before deciding. The gamemaster should ignore results that clearly do not match, although it may be an interesting practice in welding two elements together.

OPENING SETTING R ol l

S ettin g

D esc ripto r

1

A jungle

Chaotic

2

An island

Frozen

3

A mountain range

Ominous

4

A back alley

Claustrophobic

5

A crypt

Eerie

6

A blood-soaked battleeld

Fathomless

7

A courtesan’s chambers

Sprawling

8

A noble’s villa

Malodorous

9

A sewer system

Vibrant

10

A ruined keep

Barren

11

A hidden temple

Oppressive

12

An execution chamber

Obscure

13

A slavers market

Brackish

14

A graveyard

Foggy or misty

15

A desert

Searing

16

A lake or ocean

Tempestuous

17

A forest

Empty

18

A swamp

Crumbling

19

A mine

20

A royal court

Weird Roll twice and apply both

 

12

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Once the setting has been established, the Non-Player Characters table can then be used to determine a troupe of non-player characters that might be present at the scene, supported by the Temperament table for their general atti tude. The non-player characters determined by this table should be supporting the player characters in some way

R ol l

I de n t i t y

1–2

Royalty

3–4

Nobility

5–6

Militia

7–8

Natives

9–10

Merce cen nary so soldiers

11–12

Porters

Ro l l

T e mp e ram e nt

13–14

Slaves

1–4

Benevolent

15–16

Clergy (r (roll on on Religious Tenets table)

5–8

Friendly

17–1 17 –18 8

Boun Bo unty ty hu hunt nter er or hu hunt nter er

9–12

Indierent

Roll twice, with a separate roll on Temperament  table  table for each

13–16

Unfriendly

19–20

17–20

Hostile

TEMPERAMENT

HOOKS AND DRAWS R ol l

Pl o t H oo k

Draw

1

A close friend

Delivered outrageous demands

2

A kidnapped relative

Sent an invitation

3

An anonymous letter

Lied to the player characters

4

A wizened scholar

Delivered sensitive information (roll on Knowledge Objective  table)  table)

5

An ancient prophecy

Oered a fortune

6

A fanatical layperson (roll on Religious Tenets table)

Asked for help

7

A dying man or woman

Attempted blackmail or extortion

8

A member of a secret society (roll on Cult  table)  table)

Funded an expedition

9

An old acquaintance

Has mistaken a player character’s identity

10

A noble

Oered a contract of employment

Unwittingly caught between two opposing forces

Placed an artifact in a player character’s

(ignore the second d20 roll) Stumble on a strange event or dangerous location (ignore the second d20 roll)

safekeeping with their nal breath

13

A wealthy entrepreneur

Called in a debt or favor

14

A seemingly freak accident

Sent a warning

15

A priest or priestess (roll on Religious Tenets table)

Has information on someone relevant who is missing or dead

16

A diplomat

Stole from the player characters

17

The local militia

Seeks revenge

18

A former enemy

Is worried for their life

19

A member of a royal family

Has been framed for crime or treason

20

A despotic ty tyrant

Oered details on another antagonist (roll on Primary Antagonist  table)  table)

11 12

Performed a dangerous ritual

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

13

rather than opposing them, although non-player characters that are hostile to the player characters will have run afoul of the circumstances that have placed the player characters at the scene and will likely begin blaming them for their current predicament once the dust has settled.

THE PLOT

INVOLVING THE PLAYER CHARACTERS Having established the setting and some of the other persons present, it is often time to unveil the reason behind the player characters’ presence. This will establish the hook that has drawn them into their current predicament; their reason for being in the wrong place at the right time in the rst place. This can be revealed as the action unfolds or delivered as part of the introductory dialogue — however it is addressed, revealing the hook will provide the player characters with their initial incentive for having been drawn into the plot. The Hooks and Draws table can be used to aid in sketching the outline, though the gamemaster should further

Roll

Pl o t C o nce p t

embellish this with their own narrative based upon his knowledge of the player characters within the group. As with the Opening Setting table, two d20s are rolled, with the results kept separate rather than combined.

Having established the opening scene and the primary reasons for the player characters being there, it is now important to establish exactly where their adventure will lead them and who is pulling the strings. Unravelling the overarching plot should begin to take place during the opening scene, but does not necessarily need to be revealed all at once; clues should be established from the outset, but plot devices such as non-player character motives or even their presence can readily be used to tease the plot reveal across several scenes. The machinations of the villains central to pulp adventures tend towards the straightforward rather than the convoluted, but the gamemaster can roll multiple times

PLOT CONCEPT

M ot iv a t i o n

1

Overthrow the ruling elite

Vengeance

2

Complete an infernal ritual

Pure malice

3

Tear a gateway to an ancient era

Intense hatred

4

Foment a war

Envy

5

Dest De stru ruct ctio ion n of of a pl plac ace, e, a gro group up,, or or a cr crea eatu ture re

Being manipulated by someone or something (roll twice on the Primary Antagonist  table,  table, with the second roll as the true antagonist)

6

Gather information to prove the existence of something or someone

An ancient prophecy

7

Unleash th the po power of of an an ot otherworldly ho horror

The vo voices ha have sp spoken…

8

Protect a person or place

Forbidden knowledge (roll on Knowledge Objective  table)  table)

9

Gain control of a person or place

Dreams or visions

10

Break a deadlock

Protect interests

11

A secret coup

Greed

12

Dissection and experimentation

Spiritual or (un)ethical beliefs

13

Enac En actt reve reveng nge e for for a wron wrongd gdoi oing ng (re (real al or or perc percei eive ved) d)

To pro prote tect ct a pe pers rson on,, plac place, e, or or beli belief  ef 

14

Cover up a dirty secret

To strike rst

15

Exploitation of a group of people

An ancient feud

16

The pu pursuit of of kn knowledge

To divert attention from the true scheme (roll again for both the real plot and motivation)

17

Recover an ancient artifact

For the greater good

18

Recover an otherworldly relic

Repentance for a mistake

19 20

Resurrecting an ancient power World domination!

An unpayable debt Megalomania

 

14

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT on the Plot Concept table to generate several threads. As with the Opening Setting table, two d20s are rolled, but the results are read separately rather than totaled, with either roll applied to the column of the gamemaster’s choice. Once the driving focus has been determined for the plot, it is time to move on to the Primary Antagonist and Plot Fulfllment and Location tables to determine exactly who is behind the devilish plot and what they require to bring it to fruition.

THE ANTAGONIST Every tale of triumph t riumph over adversity requires a villain or obstacle at its core. Sometimes this can be as basic in representation as the brutish and ape-like Thak from “Rogues in the House”, or as enigmatic and devilish as Xaltotun from The Hour of the Dragon. The Primary Antagonist table will enable the gamemaster to determine not only who or what is driving the plot, but also the primary trait that dominates the villain’s character, while the Plot Fulfllment and Location table will reveal what the antagonist requires

to succeed and where it can be found. Roll 2d20 for the Primary Antagonist table, but keep the dice results separate. The gamemaster can choose which

PRIMARY ANTAGONIST R ol l

Pri mary M al e fac to r

T rait

1

An otherworldly entity (Ancient or Otherworldly Creatures  table)

Aggressive

2

A nefarious cult (Cult  ta  table)

Disgruntled

3

A villainous noble

Ambitious

4

A crime syndicate

Manipulative

5

A tyrannical overlord

Unpredictable

6

An evil priest or priestess

Obsessed

7 8

A crime lord An infernal sorcerer

Maniacal Tortured

9

A pirate king or queen

Cruel

10

A tribal chieftain

Psychotic

11

A guild leader

Impulsive

12

An unfeeling historian

Covert

13

An insane collector of antiquities

Disillusioned

14

A mercenary captain

Traitorous

15

A legendary gladiator

Conspiratorial

16

An intelligent beast

Intolerant

17

A corrupt judiciary

Vindictive

18

One or more royal advisors

Masochistic

19

One or mo more re me memb mber erss of of a ro roya yall fam famil ilyy

20

A de despotic ki king or or qu queen

Ineable Layered quality (roll twice: rst is actual, second is apparent)

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

15

PLOT FULFILLMENT AND LOCATION Roll

Antagonist’s Requirement to Fulfill Plot

From/Where

1

Willing sacricial victims

Mount Yimsha

2

Unwilling sacricial victims

Atlantean ruins

3

Subjects for experimentation

Hyperborea

4

An ancient text

The Island of the Black Ones

5

Hidden knowledge (Knowledge Objectives t  ta able)

A lost island or ruin

6

A specic location (Location Objectives t  ta able)

A sacred temple

7

An otherworldly gateway

A concealed tomb

8

A relic of Acheron or Valusia

A pyramid lost to the desert

9

A lock of hair (Primary Antagonist  ta  table)

A cursed glade

10

The kidnap of a powerful gure

A sunken ship

11

A precious jewel

A trap-lled dungeon

12

An extract from the books of Skelos

The vault of a hidden cult (Cult  table)  table)

13

A strange and alien device

A pirate haven

14

A stone circle

The hidden depths of the Maul

15

A cursed object

An otherworldly gateway

16

A sorcerer’s tome

An otherworldly entity’s lair (Ancient or Otherworldly Creature  table)  table)

17

An alignment of the stars

A cursed and forgotten city

18

The blood of a royal

A sorcerer’s lair

19

The heart of an otherworldly creature (Ancient or Otherworldly Creature  table)  table)

A royal vault

20

The horn of a living dragon

A dragon’s lair

column the dice results relate to, but should check both options before deciding. From here, the gamemaster can continue to the Plot Fulfllment and Location table to reveal what the antagonist requires to full their plans and where it may be found.

MISERY AND DOOM Pulp adventures readily pile misery and doom upon the heroes before allowing them to triumph over adversity — which for the gamemaster will mean introducing obstacles, twists, and personal objectives that can be used to compound the hardships that must be faced throughout the adventure whilst providing a sense of achievement. The Obstacles and Twists table should be used to generate both an obstacle and a plot twist that must be addressed by the player characters before reaching the adventure’s conclusion. Once again, two d20s should be rolled, although the results are read separately. The Goals and Objectives  table can be used to deter mine some possible personal goals and objectives for the player characters. These may require completion to overcome the plans of the primary antagonist, or they may be

The Cimmerian, born in a hill country, could have run up it like a cat, but Olivia found the going dicult. Again and again she felt herself lifted lightly o her feet and over some obstacle that would have taxed her strength to surmount, and her wonder grew at the sheer  physical power of the man.

— “Iron Shadows in the Moon”

secondary goals that are independent of the overarching plot; either way, it should be clear that there are personal ramications to the player characters for not fullling this element of the plot. The gamemaster may choose to roll once for the group or once for each character, but should consider the personal interests of the player characters and players when doing so. Two d20 are rolled, with one d20 used to decide a player character goal and the other d20 used to determine who or what is involved in its completion.

 

16

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

OBSTACLES AND TWISTS Ro l l

Ob sta cl e s

Pl o t Tw is t s

1

On a short timescale

They must make a great personal sacrice (one or more group members)

2

Considered an unreachable destination (lost island, deep underwater, inside a volcano)

They are the experiment experiment (a group or faction is testing testing their abilities)

3

Numerous distractions along the way (side missions, rival factions, opportunities)

Led into a trap (they are the antagonist’s missing ingredient)

4

Key knowledge is required (held in a location or by a person — usually guarded)

Into the jaws of death (no one is expected to leave alive)

5

Physically or environmentally challenging (frozen tundra, cloying swamp, dense jungle)

The antagonist is part of the group (if played right, maybe even a player character)

6

Another non-player character faction is also involved (use Non-Player Characters and Temperament   tables to determine)

Intelligence leads them to believe there is only one to deal with (they were wrong!)

7

It is guarded by at least a Nemesis level l evel entity or Toughened unit

Familial connections (the antagonist has close ties to a player character)

They must carry a hindrance (fragile asset,

Snake in the grass (a traitor working working for an

8

incompetent person, dangerous prisoner)

independent faction — roll on Non-Player Characters  table)

9

Battered by the elements (volcanic activity, sand or snow storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.)

High body count

10

Must Mu st cr cros osss hot hotly ly di disp sput uted ed te terr rrit itor oryy

Damned if we do… (lettin (lettingg the antagonist antagonist escape will save countless lives)

11

Famine

A person or object that is a required to foil the antagonist is also exactly what the antagonist needs!

12

Poverty stricken (rotten, stolen, corrupted, or faulty equipment)

To understand a villain, you must become the villain (they must do bad things to achieve their goal)

13

Extortionate cost (in something the character’s value)

The antagonist is a patsy for the true villain (roll again on Primary Antagonist  table)  table)

14

Lesser of two evils (working with an uncomfortable ally)

The antagonist is performing heinous acts in the hope of preventing a greater evil

15

Civi Ci vill un unre rest st (r (rio iots ts,, te terr rror oris ists ts))

Fulllment before their eyes (the group arrive too late or the event unfolds around them)

16

Extortion and bribery (a group member is bribed or held to ransom)

Cut o and left adrift (the group’s supporters fall strangely silent and no longer provide support)

17

Sold mi misinformation

A key character of the plot is killed, only to return alive later (can be keyed to entries 2 or 8 of this table)

18

Problems with the the authorities (arrested, bounty placed)

The player characters are working for the real villain and the antagonist is trying to stop them

19

Strange malady that requires the antagonists’ plot fulllment to cure

Tread dark paths (the player characters must open themselves to Corruption to achieve a greater good)

20

Ambushed!

Escalation (roll twice on this table, ignoring further results of 20)

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

17

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Roll

C ha r a ct er G o a l

C ha r a ct er O b j e ct i v e

1

Explore

An ally (Person Objective  table)  table)

2

Recover

An enemy (Primary Antagonist  table)  table)

3

Plunder

Identity of a person (Primary Antagonist  table)  table)

4

Destroy

An opponent (Opponents table)

5

Protect

An opponent (Opponents table)

6

Deliver

Documents or secrets (Knowledge or Person Objective  table)  table)

7

Capture

Documents or secrets (Knowledge or Person Objective  table)  table)

8

Find/Locate

An artifact (Artifact Descriptors and Conditions table)

9

Negotiate

An artifact (Artifact Descriptors and Conditions table)

10

Scout

A physical location (Location Choice  and  and appropriate sub-table)

11

Divert

A physical location (Location Choice  and  and appropriate sub-table)

12

Distract

An ancient map to (Roll on Sinister column of Building Type table)

13

Unveil

An ancient map to (Roll on Sinister column of Building Type table)

14

Hide

An otherworldly creature’s body part (Ancient or Otherworldly Creatures  table)

15

Understand

An otherworldly creature’s body part (Ancient or Otherworldly Creatures  table)

16 17

Prove Disprove

The current antagonist The current antagonist

18

Steal

A deadly or secret organisation (Cult  table)  table)

19

Inltrate

A deadly or secret organisation ( Cult  table)  table)

20

Rescue

A legendary character (Legendary Characters table)

 

18

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES The following tables are used to further elaborate the requirements of the character’s objectives. As already stated, these objectives can be used as personal goals or as devices to further the plot — by revealing the location of the antagonist for instance, or indicating an item that is vital to foiling the antagonist’s plans. The Artifa  Artifact ct table requires that the gamemaster roll two d20s as before, selecting one d20 to determine the type of artifact in question and the second d20 to provide the artifact with a description or state of being. The Knowledge or Person Objectives and Opponent tables require the roll of a d20 on the relevant r elevant column.

KNOWLEDGE OR PERSON OBJECTIVES

 ARTIFACT  ARTIF ACT DESCRIP D ESCRIPTORS TORS AND A ND CONDITION COND ITIONS S Artifact Descriptor

Artifact State/ Condition

1

Book

Ancient

2

Scroll

Sentient

3

Key

Cursed

4

Religious icon (Religious Tenets table)

Fragile

5

Statue

Unstable

6

Rare plant or ower

Mutable

7

Jewel

Infectious

8

Precious ore

Blessed

9

Crystal

Incorruptible

10

Contraption

Locked

11

Otherworldly ob object

Frozen (i(iced)

12

Heirloom

Ethereal

13

Potion

Lucky

14 15

Armor and/or shield Drug

Toxic Broken

16

Priceless art object

Buried

17

Jewelry

Powerless

Roll

Knowledge Objective

Person Objective

Map (treasure, lost land, building plans, kingdom defenses)

Civilian

2

Crude alchemical discovery

Militia

3

Cure to a strange illness

Soldier

4

A weakness

Scholar

18

Weapon

Corrupt

5

An ancient secret

Insane genius

19

Legendary we weapon

Otherworldly

6

Escape route

Fugitive

7

Conspiracy

Criminal

20

8

Strange formula

Spy

9

Criminal activity

Traitor

Appears to be X, but Legendary artifact is actually Y (roll (Legendary Artifact   table) table) twice, rst result is X, second result is Y)

10

A legend

Mercenary

11

A lost language

Priest or priestess (Religious Tenets table)

12

Concerning an artifact Noble (Artifacts table)

13

A cult secret (Cult  table)  table)

14

Roll

1

OPPONENT Ro l l 1

Op p on e n t Bandit

Roll 11

O pp o n e n t Pirate captain

2

Berserker

12

Savage

3

Bodyguard

13

Sorcerer

4

Cultist

14

Thug

The tr truth to a cover up up Po Poli liti tici cian an

5

Cult leader

15

Ghoul

15

What is is at at th the lo location? So Sorc rce ere rerr

6

Degenerate

16

Skeletal warrior

16

What transpired?

Archaeologist

7

Degenerate warrior

17

Rat thing

17

A traitor’s identity

Heir/heiress

8

Guard sergeant

18

Frost giant

18

Historical data

Smuggler

9

Knight

19

Black One

19

Cartogr gra aphica call dat data

Wounded non-player character (roll again)

20

Otherworldly knowledge

Royal non-player character (roll again)

Historian

Otherworldly creature (Ancient 10

Pirate

20

or Otherworldly Creature  table)  table)

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

19

OLD HAUNTS AND NEW STOMPING GROUNDS No story would be complete without a few sinister locations and exotic settings for the player characters to explore. The following tables can be used to generate any number of locations to fulll the plot — there is no hard or fast limit, the gamemaster should use as many locations as they feel are necessary to propel the adventure to its conclusion. The location required by the antagonist to bring their plans to fruition should already be known thanks to the Plot Fulfllment and Location table, the tables presented here will provide any number of locations along the character’s route from opening scene to epic climax. As with any of the tables here, the gamemaster is free to pick and choose only the elements desired, or to ignore rolls if they do not suit the plot. The Location Choice and  Atmosphere table requires two d20s, rolled separately. The rst roll determines which sub-table to roll on ( Building Type, Rural or Marine Locations , Military or Otherworldly Sites, and Cult tables) and the second roll establishes the

The dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills; The grey clouds’ leaden everlasting arch; The dusky streams that owed without a sound, And the lone winds that whispered down the passes.

— “Cimmeria”

As a nal note, it is worth remembering that Conan  often ran headrst into the unknown with little regard for his own safety or the dangers that might be lurking around the next corner. His trials and tribulations sometimes took him to bizarre and dreadful locations lled with denizens that had no right to exist in the Hyborian Age. Although some dice results may seem untenable at rst glance, the gamemaster is encouraged to spend a moment or two on linking seemingly unworkable elements together through nothing more than the art of storytelling. Not only is this a good exercise in creating engaging narrative, but also an enjoyable practice in creating unusual elements elements on the y.

location with an atmospheric descriptor.

LOCATION CHOICE AND ATMOSPHERE

BUILDING TYPE R ol l

Buildin g T ype

Si ni st e r

1

Hovel

Castle

2

Tavern

Temple

3

Monastery

Stone circle

4

Warehouse

Church

5

Blacksmithy

Mansion

6

Prison

Cemetery

7

Shop or store

Cave system Tomb

Location Choice

Location Atmosphere

1

Building

Derelict De

2

Building

Ruined

3

Building

Peaceful

4

Building

Abandoned Ab

5

Building

Windswept

6

Rural

Dreadful

7

Rural

Overgrown

8

Gambling den

8

Rural

Submerged

9

Noble’s estate

9

Sinister

Ancient

10

Sinister

Impossible

10

Library

excavation Ruins

11

Sinister

Perched

11

Hospital

Mine

12

Sinister

Mountain-top

12

University

Hospital

13

Sinister

Cli-top

13

Temple

Monastery

14

Marine

Flooded

14

Mansion

Museum Mu

15

Marine

Underground

15

Museum

Swamp

16

Marine

Remote

16

Farmhouse

Stone circle

17

Military

Enigmatic

17

Inn

Ancient battleeld

18

Military

Dripping

18

Royal building

Gateway

19

Ancient or otherworldly site

Frozen

19

Sanatorium

Island

20

Ancient or otherworldly site

Eerie

20

Palace

Monolith Mo

Roll

Archaeological

 

20

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

RURAL OR MARINE LOCATIONS Roll

R ural

M arin e

1

Old battleeld

Shipyard

2

Cavern

Cargo ship

3

Plantation

4

MILITARY OR OTHERWORLDLY SITES M i litary

Ancient or Otherworldly Site

1

Com Co mmand tent

Acheronia ian n ruins

Warship Wa

2

Knight’s tent

Pre-Cataclysmic ruins

Jung nglle

Und nde erwater ruins

3

Squire’s tent

Xuthal

5

Aban Ab ando done ned d se sett ttle leme ment nt

Deep De ep se sea a ri ridg dge e

4

Sentry post

Island of the Black Ones

6

River

Submerged wreck

7

Desert

Reef  

5

War camp

Dweller’s lair (submerged)

8

Glacier

Lost island

6

Supply camp

Ancient pyramid

9

Swamp

Pirate haven

10

Coas Co astl tlin ine e

Merc Me rch han antt sh ship ip

7

Horse enclosure

Gateway to the Outer Dark

11

Canyon

Open sea

8

Border fort

Cyclopean tomb

12

Lake

Coastal waters

9

Mercenary outpost

Primeval forest

13

Forest

Coast

10

Mercenary base

Pangaean valley

14

Mine

Port

11

Militia building

City of Alkmeenon

15

Farm Fa rm

Und Un der erwa wate terr ca cavver erns ns

12

Small keep

Citadel of Tsotha

16

Fiel Fi eld ds

Bea Be ach ched ed wr wrec eck k

17

Hills

Deep sea trench

13 14

Castle Wainwright’s

Haunted cairn Tunnels beneath sewers

18

Moun Mo unttai ains ns

Isla Is land nd ch chai ain n

15

Blacksmith’s

Heart of a mountain

19

Delta

Sinking island

20

Snowelds

An armada

16

Naval ship

Stygian ruins

17

Naval dock

Island of Xapur

18

Military mo monument Ruins of of Ku Kuthchemes

CULT

Ro l l

R ol l

Cu l t

19

Ambush site

Mount Yimsha

1–2

Black Se Seers of of Mo Mount Yi Yimsha

20

Battleeld

City of Xuchotil

3–5

Cult of Jhebbal Sag

6–7

Cult of Asura

8–9

The Spider Cult of Yezud

Ro l l

Creature

10–1 10 –111

Cann Ca nnib ibal al Cu Cult lt of Za Zamb mbo oul ula a

1–2

Abomination

12–13

Cult of Hanuman

3–4

Child of the Dark

14–16

The Bl Black Ri Ring

5–77 5–

Crea Cr eatu ture re of th the e Far Far Re Reac ach hes of the Sk Skie iess

17–18

The Re Red Br Brotherhood

8–9

Devil of of the Ou Outer Dark

19–20

The Sc Scarlet Ci Circle

RELIGIOUS TENETS Roll

Religious Tenets

1–3

Set

4–6

Jhebbal Sag

6–8

Asura

9–11

Ishtar

12–15

Mitra

16–18 19–20

Bel The Sp Spider-God

 ANCIENT OR OTHERWORLD OT HERWORLDLY LY CREATURE CR EATURE

10–11

Forest devil

12–14

Malign plant

15–17

Mummied sorcerer

18–19

Werewolf  

20

Winged One

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

21

SUMMARY

LEGENDARY CHARACTER Roll

Legendary Character

1–2

Conan

3–5

Valeria

4–8

Amalric

9–11 12–13

Astreas Thutmekri

14–16

Olgerd Vladislav

17–18

Taurus of Nemedia

19–20

Thoth-Amon

Unless otherwise stated, the gamemaster should roll two d20, but do not total the results. Select a choice from either column using the most appropriate result to suit the require ments. Use the Adventure Title generator or come up with your own.

BEGIN THE  ADVENTURE ■

LEGENDARY ARTIFACT Roll

Legendary Artifact

1–2

The Heart of Ahriman

3–4

A lock of Atali’s hair

5–7

Golden elixir of Xuthal

8–9

Headdress of of Zo Zogar Sa Sag

10–11 12–14

Khemsa’s St Stygian gi girdle The Bowl of Set

15–17

The Te Teeth of of Gw Gwahlur

18–1 18 –19 9

The Th e He Hea art of the El Elep eph han antt

■

20

■

The Serpent Ring of Set

  oll for an Opening Setting and any non-player Roll R characters present — including their temperament (utilizing the Opening Setting, Non-Player Characters, or Temperament tables as necessary). Establish  E stablish the Hooks and Draws that led to the player characters being present, then work on unveiling the Plot Concept. Roll on any additional tables as directed (Primary Antagonist, Knowledge or Person Objectives, Cult, or Ancient  or Otherworldly Creature tables) Determine  D etermine who is behind the plot (Primary  Antagonist  table) and what it is they’re hoping to accomplish (Plot Fulllment and Location  table). Roll on any additional tables as directed ( Primary  Antagonist, K nowledge or Person Per son Objectives, Location Choice and Atmosphere, Cult, or Ancient or Otherworldly Creature tables).

TWISTS AND TURNS ■

  ayer on some misery and doom by rolling for one Layer L or more plot twists (Obstacles and Twists table), but provide the player characters with some sense of achievement or overcoming the odds by introducing some personal goals and objectives ( Goals and Objectives table). Building Type on any addiaddi tional tables as directed (Non-Player Characters, Temperament, Primary Antagonist, Goals and Objectives,  Artifact Descriptors and Conditions, Conditions, Knowledge or Person Objectives, Building Type, Cult, Ancient or Otherworldly Creature, Legendary Character , or the Legendary Artifact tables).

LOCATIONS ■

Roll  R oll any number of locations on the Location Choice and Atmosphere tables. Roll on any additional Type, Rural or Marine tables as directed (the Building Locations , and Military or Otherworldly Sites tables).

 

22

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

EXAMPLE OF ADVENTURE CREATION The gamemaster decides to sit down and create a new adventure, using the adventure creation system provided to do so. To start, the gamemaster rolls on the Adventure Title generator on page 9–10. For Title Structure , the roll of d20 results in a 4: “The § [ENTITY] of the [LOCATION]”. Since “The” is indicated, the gamemaster rolls a § and gets a 4. This result of nothing means that “The” is removed from the title. Now the title is simply “ § [ENTITY] of the [LOCATION]”. Rolls for the Entity  and  and Location  tables  tables result in 2 (Ghost/Spirit/Specter) and 17 (Pit). The gamemaster decides that “§ Ghost of the Pit” sounds good, and rolls the § to determine the Descriptor . A result of 12 indicates a substance, so the gamemaster looks at the list and decides “Iron” sounds the best. With these results, the scenario title is “Iron Ghost of the Pit”, which seems a bit strange. Taking a step back, the gamemaster decides to rearrange it slightly, to “Ghost of the Iron Pit.” Now it’s time to create an adventure, hopefully one

Rolling 2d20 separately for Plot Fulfllment and Location , the results are 11 (“A precious jewel”) and 17 (“A royal vault”). Suddenly the gamemaster has the inkling of an idea, and looks at the adventure’s title again and puts some things together. Two more d20 rolls on the Obstacles and Twists table provide results of 7 (“It is guarded by at least a Nemesis level entity or Toughened unit”) and 3 (“Led into a trap [they are the antagonist’s missing ingredient]”). On to the Goals and Objectives table, the gamemaster decides to keep things simple and have a single goal for the entire group (versus rolling for each player character) and gets results of 2 (“Recover”) and 9 (“An artifact”). This calls for another roll on the Artifact Descriptors and Conditions table, and given the prior mention of a jewel, the gamemaster decides to just pick result 7 (“Jewel”) and roll for the Artifact State/Condition , getting 16 (“Buried”). Rolls on the Location Choice and Atmosphere   table yield results of 5 and 15, for “Building”, and

that ts this enigmatic title. From the Opening Scene  (page  (page 11) table, the gamemaster rolls 1d20 twice, and gets results of 13 and 15: “A slavers market” and “Searing”. These both seem like they’ll t the scenario title nicely. Rolling and consulting the Non-Player Characters  and Temperament  tables  tables yields 6 and 20, for “Militia” and “Hostile”. The player characters are beginning the adventure dealing with some trouble with a hostile militia in a slave market, likely somewhere in the desert. This sounds about right for a CONAN adventure. Are they slaves, or are they merely bystanders? Now it’s time to see why the player characters are involved, with two d20s rolled on the Hooks and Draws  table. The results are 17 and 6, which (interestingly) indicate “The local militia” and “Asked for help”. This seems at odds with the opening scene, but the gamemaster is intrigued and wants to see where the dice fall. Maybe something will indicate what happened, or perhaps there’s more than one militia being indicated. Two d20s rolled for the Plot Concept  table   table yield 1 and 14. This means that somehow, the overall goal of the adventure is “Overthrow the ruling elite” and their motivation is “To strike rst”. Looking at these results, the seeds of rebellion seem to be pushing up through the sands. The Primary Antagonist  rolls  rolls are near-perfect (14 and 10), resulting in “Psychotic” and “Mercenary captain”. This adventure is writing itself.

“Underground”. Rolling another d20 for the Building Type table gets an 18, a “Royal Building”. Though this adventure feels all but written, the gamemaster determines that there should be some supernatural element in the form of a guardian creature, to enact the “Led into a trap” aspect, so a roll on the Ancient or Otherworldly Creature table provides a result of 17 (“Mummied sorcerer”). This feels fortuitous, and the gamemaster decides that the royal castle complex is an ancient necropolis, where a mummied sorcerer was entombed, the priceless ghost sapphire clutched to its wizened breast. Now the gamemaster decides that it’s time to tie some of these threads together, and see how it can become a real adventure. Looking at the ideas presented, the gamemaster decides the following: ■

■

■

The “Ghost” in the title is a famous magical jewel — a white star sapphire reputed to have magical properties, ensuring victory to the ones who carry it. The “Iron Pit” is an ancient treasure hoard, buried somewhere beneath the city, in an ancient royal castle complex, long since buried and built over. The newer city, built around a slaver’s market, is somewhere “searing”, so the gamemaster decides it’s set in the south-eastern deserts of Shem, near the Styx River. Continued on next page...

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

23

...continued from previous page. ■

■

■

■

■

The second militia is a group of Stygian mercenaries, led by a psychotic mercenary captain. These mercenaries have been hired by ruling elite, a group that tracs in slavery, an elite desperately trying to hold onto their control of the city. Meanwhile, the town’s former militia, all loyal Shemites, have fallen in with the rebels, and skirmish with the Stygian mercenaries in support of the Shemite citizens. The rebellious citizens are seeking “the Ghost” as a symbol, a talisman to help throw down their oppressors. With it, they intend to strike rst, using the jewel as a rallying cry for their people. The player characters have been captured as slaves, but are due to be sold just as the rebel militia strikes

■

■

at the Stygian mercenaries guarding the slave auction. In the combat, they’ll be freed by the rebels (or will be aided by them as they free themselves!), and will be asked to help overthrow the tyranny of the slave-lords and their Stygian lackeys. The rebels impress upon the player characters that they must go into the ancient necropolis beneath the city and recover the jewel, as a symbol for the downtrodden folk of this remote city. The player characters, however, may have goals of their own…

Now it’s time to start naming things, using the name lists provided in the core rulebook, and using some of the non-player characters and monsters described in the CONAN rulebook to esh out the encounters. In a short while, “Ghost of the Iron Pit” is ready to be played through!

“As for Conan’s eventual fate — frankly I can’t predict it. In writing these yarns I’ve always felt less as creating them than as if I were simply chronicling his adventures as he told them to me. That’s why they skip about so much, without following a regular order. The average adventurer, telling tales of a wild life at random, seldom follows any ordered plan, but narrates episodes widely separated by space and years, as they occur to him.” 

— Robert E. Howard, letter to P. Schuyler Miller

 

24

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

HAZARDS Effect

Do o m C os t

E xa m p l e s

(Damage or Quality) 2§ d  da amage

2

The player character stands on a sharpened spike or takes a punch from behind.

3§ d  da amage

3

A booby-trap constructed from small sharp blades; spears that spring from the walls.

4§ d  da amage

4

A hidden man-trap; small rockslide.

5§ d  da amage

5

A more lethal trap; a mid-sized rockslide.

6§ d  da amage

6

A large and deadly trap; a large rockslide.

Area

2

A complicated trap that res multiple darts or stones.

Incendiary X

Equal to half X, rounding up

Intense

2

A massive boulder; a sharpened man-trap.

Knockdown

1

A log swung at shoulder height; a small pitfall.

Nonlethal

A re spreads around the player character; the roof catches re and starts to cave in; molten lava in close proximity.

Reduce overall A sand dune collapsing on the player character; a fall onto soft ground. Doom Cost by two

Piercing X

Equal to half X, rounding up.

Stun

1

Persistent X

Equal to half X, rounding up

Vicious X

Equal to X

Sharpened stakes or rocks. A gas stirred up by the opening of ancient doors; a trap that drops rocks. Long narrow blades that leave bleeding wounds. Traps set by master trap makers.

HAZARD DIFFICULTIES Te s t D if f ic u l t y

D o o m Co s t

E xa m p l e s

No skill test required

—

Average (D1) Challenging (D2)

Reduce overall Doom Cost by three Reduce overall Doom Cost by one

Daunting (D3) or greater

—

Instant eects. A river bank with an obvious ford. A river bank with no ford. A whitewater rapid.

DISPLAYS OF MIGHT AND POWER Nam e

Sk il l

Ra ng e

D ama ge

A Mighty Name

Q ua l i t i e s

Command or Discipline

Close

X§

Area

Dead Man’s Stare

Melee

Close

3§

Area, Vicious 1

Flaming Brand

Survival

Close

3§

Stun, Vicious 1

Impossible Feat of Might

Athletics

Medium

5§

Area, Stun

Knife to the Throat

Melee or Stealth

Reach

4§

Stun, Vicious 1

Sorcerous Might

Sorcery

Medium

5§

Area, Intense

Stain the Soil Red Steely Glare

Melee or Ranged Weapons Persuade

Close Close

X§ 2§

Area Stun

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

25

KITS Sk il l

Item

Type

Availability

Cost

En cu mb ran ce

Alchemy

Laboratory

Facility

5

25

—

Alchemy

Laboratory, Field

Kit

3

8

5

Alchemy

Library, Academic

Library

5*

30

—

Alchemy Alchemy

Library, Personal Library, Reference

Library Library

2 5*

10 15

5 —

Alchemy

Ingredient

Resource

1

2

1

Alchemy

Test Kit

Tools (1 use)

2

3

1

Animal Handling

Handler’s Kit/Bridle/Tack

Kit

2

2

5

Animal Handling

Rewards

Resource

1

1

1

Animal Handling

Stable/Menagerie

Facility

3

50

—

Athletics

Climbing Gear (climbing only)

Kit

1

4

2

Athletics

Spikes

Resource

1

1

1

Counsel

Calming Herbs and Perfumes

Resource

2

2

1

Counsel

Private Chambers

Facility

3

22

—

Craft

Coal

Resource

1

2

1

Craft/Thievery Craft

Tool Kit Workshop

Tools Facility

2 3

8 15

5 —

Healing

Healer’s Bag

Kit

2

8

5

Healing

Chirurgeon’s House

Facility

3

22

—

Healing

Ligation Kit

Kit (1 use)

1

1

1

Healing

Medicine

Resource

2

2

1

Ranged Weapons

Arrows, Bolts, etc.

Reload

1

1

1

Sorcery

Sorcerous Garb and Talismans

Tools

4

11

5

Sorcery

Circle of Power

Facility

5

30

—

Sorcery

Library, Academic

Library

5*

50

—

Sorcery

Library, Personal

Library

4

20

5

Sorcery Sorcery

Library, Reference Oerings

Library Resource

5* 2

30 3

— 2

Stealth

Appropriate Clothing (by region/season)

Tools (1 use)

1

2

1

Stealth

Makeup and Scent Oils

Resource

1

1

1

Stealth

Wardrobe of Appropriate clothing (by region/season)

Tools

1

6

3

Survival

Day Bag (by region)

Kit (1 use)

0

1

1

Survival

Outpost (by region)

Facility

2

8

—

Survival

Provisions

Resource

1

1

1

Survival

Survival Kit (by region)

Tools

1

4

5

Thievery

Thief’s Kit

Tools (1 use)

2

2

1

Any one skill Any one skill

Library, Academic Library, Personal

Library Library

5 1

15 5

— 5

Any one skill

Library, Reference

Library

3

10

—

 

26

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

SWORDS Weapon

R e ach

D amage

S iz e

Quali ties

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Broadsword

2

5§

Unbalanced

Parrying

1

5

1

Cutlass

2

4§

Unbalanced

Vicious 1

1

5

1

Scimitar or Saber

2

3§

1H

Cavalry 1, Parrying

1

5

1

Shortsword

1

4§

1H

Parrying

1

5

1

Sword

2

4§

1H

Parrying

1

5

1

Tulwar

2

4§

Unbalanced

Cavalry 1, Parrying

1

5

1

Two-handed Sword

3

5§

2H

Vicious 1

1

8

2

DAGGER AND KNIVES Weapon

R e ach

D amage

S ize

Qualiti es

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Dagger, Dirk, Poniard, or Stiletto

1

3§

1H

Hidden 1, Parrying, Thrown, Unforgiving 1

1

5

—

Ghanata Knife

1

3§

1H

Hidden 1, Vicious 1

2

4

—

Knife

1

3§

1H

Hidden 1, Improvised,

1

2

—

1

5

—

Yuetshi Knife

1

3§

1H

Unforgiving 1 Hidden 1, Intense

Zhaibar Knife

2

4§

1H

Unforgiving 2

1

5

1

Throwing Knife

C

3§

1H

Hidden 1, Volley

1

5

—

CLUBS, FLAILS, AND WARHAMMERS Weapon

R e ach

D ama ge

S ize

Q ua l i t i e s

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Club

2

3§

1H

Stun, Knockdown

0

2

1

Flail, Farming

2

4§

2H

Improvised, Knockdown, Piercing 1

1

2

1

Flail, Military

2

4§

Unbalanced Knockdown, Piercing 1

1

5

2

Great Hammer

2

4§

2H

Improvised, Knockdown, Stun

1

2

2

Mace

2

3§

Unbalanced

Knockdown, Stun, Piercing 1

1

5

1

Maul

2

5§

2H

Knockdown, Stun

1

5

2

Morning Star

2

3§

1H

Vicious 1

1

4

2

Pick, Horseman’s

2

3§

1H

Vicious 1

2

6

1

Pickaxe

2

5§

2H

Improvised, Vicious 1

1

4

1

Sap

1

3§

1H

Hidden 1, Stun, Unforgiving 1

0

0+

—

Sta 

2 or 3

4§

2H

Knockdown

0

3

1

Warhammer

2

4§

Unbalanced

Knockdown, Vicious 1

2

5

1

 

GAMEMASTER'S TOOLKIT

27

 AXES Weapon

Re a ch

D ama ge

S ize

Q u a l i t i es

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Axe, Throwing

2

3§

1H

Thrown, Vicious 1

1

5

1

Axe, Wood

2

4§

2H

Intense, Vicious 1

1

4

1

Battleaxe

2

4§

Unbalanced

Intense, Vicious 1

1

5

1

Hatchet Poleaxe or Halberd

2

4§

1H

1

5

1

3

4§

2H

Vicious 1 Intense, Piercing 1, Vicious 1

2

6

2

FLEXIBLE WEAPONS Weapon

R e ach

Dam age

Size

Q ua l i t i e s

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Chain

3

3§

Unbalanced

Grapple, Improvised, Knockdown, Vicious 1

1

5

1

Net

2

3§

1H

Grapple, Non-Lethal, Parrying, Thrown

1

5

—

Whip

3

3§

1H

Fearsome 2, Grapple

1

5

—

SPEARS AND POLEARMS Weapon Spear

R e ach 3

Dam age 4§

Size Unbalanced

Q ua l i t i e s Piercing 1

Availability 1

Cost 5

Encumbrance 2

 Javelin

2

3§

1H

Fragile, Piercing 1, Thrown (Medium)

1

3

2

Lance

3

4§

Unbalanced

Cavalry 2, Fragile

2

7

2

Pike

4

4§

Unwieldy

Piercing 2

2

6

3

Polearm

3

4§

2H

Knockdown, Vicious 1

1

5

3

MISSILE WEAPONS Weapon

Range Da mag e

Si z e

Quali ties

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance*

Arbalest

M

5§

2H

Unforgiving 1, Vicious 1

2

10

3

Bow, Hunting

C

3§

2H

Volley

1

6

2

Bow, Hyrkanian Horse

C

3§

2H

Volley

3

6

2

Bow, Shemite

L

3§

2H

Piercing 1, Volley

2

7

2

Crossbow

M

3§

Unbalanced

Unforgiving 1, Volley

1

6

2

Longbow, Bossonian

M

5§

2H

Piercing 1, Volley

4

8

2

Short Bow, Stygian

C

3§

2H

Volley

2

6

2

Sling

M

3§

1H

Stun, Volley

1

1

1

 

*For each of these weapons, the Encumbrance value and cost includes the weapon as well as quiver containing 1 Load of arrows or bolts, or a pouch of slingstones or bullets. The arbalest comes with a quiver of ve bolts. Additional pouches, loads, and quivers can be purchased for 2 Gold and have an Encumbrance value of 1.

 

28

GAMEMASTER’S TOOLKIT

SHIELDS Weapon

Re ac h

Da mage

S ize

Q ualiti es

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Buckler

1

3§

1H

Parrying, Stun

1

4

1

Shield

2

2§

1H

Knockdown, Shield 2

1

5

2

Shield, Tower

2

2§

Unbalanced

Knockdown, Shield 4

2

6

3

 ARMOR Armor Type

Item

Hit Locations Covered

Armor Soak

Qualities

Availability

Cost

Encumbrance

Heavy Clothing

Padded Gambeson

Torso and Arms

1

—

1

2

1

Heavy Clothing

Trousers

Legs

1

—

1

1

1

Light Armor

Brigandine Jacket

Torso and Arms

2

—

2

8

3

Light Armor

Brigandine Vest

Torso

2

—

2

4

2

Light Armor

Brigandine Sleeves or Trousers

Arms or Legs

2

—

2

4

2

Light Armor

Brigandine Sleeve or Legging

Single Limb

2

—

2

2

1 each

Heavy Armor

Heavy Hauberk or Coat

Torso, Arms, Legs

3

Heavy or Noisy

3

18

3

Heavy Armor

Heavy Vest

Torso

3

Heavy or Noisy

3

6

2

Heavy Armor

Heavy Shirt

Torso and Arms

3

Heavy or Noisy

3

12

2

Heavy Armor

Heavy Sleeve or Legging

Single Limb

3

Noisy

3

3

1 each

Very Heavy Armor

Cuirass

Torso

4

Very Heavy

4

8

3

Very Heavy Armor

Arm or Leg Plates

Single Limb

4

Very Heavy

4

4

1 each

Very Heavy Armor

Full Plate Armor

All

4

Very Heavy

4

28

7

Heavy Clothing

Leather Cap

Head

1

—

1

1

—

Heavy Armor

Helmet or Coif

Head

3

Heavy

3

3

2

Very Heavy Armor

Great Helm

Head

4

Very Heavy

4

4

2

BARDING Item

Hit Locations Covered

Armor Soak

A r mo r Ty p e

A v ai l abi l it y

Cost

Encumbrance

Light Barding

Body, Neck, Head

1

Light Armor

3

5

8

Heavy Barding

Body, Neck, Head

2

Heavy Armor

4

8

12

Very Heavy Barding

Body, Neck, Head

4

Very Heavy Armor

5

12

16

MOUNT OR VEHICLE HIT LOCATIONS  Ro o ll § R

L o c a t i on S t r u ck

1 or 2

Animal(s): Roll for damage normally against the creature(s) pulling the vehicle.

Eect

Driver: Roll for damage normally against the driver. If there is more than one driver, roll randomly to determine which is struck.

Any other Result

Vehicle: The mount or vehicle is instead struck. For mounts, damage is taken as per humans, while the gamemaster should determine the eects of damage to the vehicle.

 

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V    m    H     2    r     P

    d    n    u    o     W

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s     M   s    e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

    N    o     E    s    e     M    R

   a    m

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V    m    H     4    r     P

    d    n    u    o     W

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s    s     M   e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

    N    o     E    s    e     M    R

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V     H    m    r     P

    S     N     O     I     N     I     M     E     P     Y     T

    R     E     D     A     E     L     D     A     U     Q     S     E     M     A     N

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V     H    m     3    r     P

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s     M   s    e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

   a    m    u    a    r     T

   r    e    w    o    p     l     l     i     W    y     t     i     l     S    a     E    n    s     T    o    r    e     U    P     B     I    e     R    c     T    n    e     T     i    g     A       l     l    e     I     t    n

   n    o     i     t    a    n     i     d    r    o    o     C

    s     s     e     n     e     r     a     w      A

    y     t      i      l      i     g      A

   r    e    w    o    p     l     l     i     W    y     t     i     l     S    a     E    n    s     T    o    r    e     U    P     B     I    e     R    c     T    n     T    e     i    g     A       l    e     t    n     I

   n    o     i     t    a    n     i     d    r    o    o     C

    s     s     e     n     e     r     a     w      A

    y     t      i      l      i     g      A

   n    w    a    r     B

   n    w    a    r     B

    t

    E    n    e    s    e     S    s     I    m    n     T    e    v    e     R    o     S     E     M     P     X     E     F     O     S     D     L    e     E     t     I     F    a     d    u     b     t    m     i     t    o    r    o     C     F

    t    e    s     E    n    e     S    s     I    m    n     T    e    v    e     R    o     S     E     M     P

    l    a     i    c    o     S

   e    g     d    e     l    w    o    n     K

    l    a     i    c    o     S

    X     E     F     O

    S     D     L     E    e     I     F     t    e    g    a     d    u     b     t    m     i     t    o    r    o     C     F

   a    m

    d    e     l    w    o    n     K

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V     H    m    r     P

   a     H     &    s    s    e    r     L    e    v     A     l     t     T     S     N    o    s

    E    e     M    R

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y    i     V     H    m    r     P

   a     H     &    s    s     L    e    r    e     A    l     t    v     S     T     N    o    s

    E    e     M    R

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V     H    m     5    r     P

    d    n    u    o     W

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s     M   s    e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

   o

   s    e     N     E     M    R

    S     R    E     I     O    T     I     L     M     R    A     A    U     Q

    K     A     O     D     S       R     A    2    1     O     E     H     M    a     R    m     A

   u    a    r     T

   s     d    n    u    o     W

   a    m    u    a    r     T

    d    n    u    o     W

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s    s     M   e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

    N    o     E    s    e     M    R

   a    m

    S     R    E     I     O    T     I     L     M     R    A     A    U     Q

    K     A     O     S     D    2       R     A    1     O     E     H     M     R     A

   u    a    r     T

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V     H    m     7    r     P

    d    n    u    o     W

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s     M   s    e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

   o

   s    e     N     E     M    R

   a    m    u    a    r     T

    d    n    u    o     W

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V    m    H     8    r     P

   u    a    r     T

    d    n    u    o     W

   o

   s    e     N     E     M    R

   a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s    s     M   e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l

   u    a    r     T

    d    n    u    o     W

    1    a     N    H     O     I     &     N     I    s     M   s    e    r     L     A    e     t    v     S     T     l    o

    d    n    u    o     W

    N    o     E    s    e     M    R

   a    m

   u    a    r     T

    L     A    r     C     I    o    g    s     S     Y     i     V    m    H     6    r     P

   a    m    u    a    r     T

   s    e     N     E     M    R

    E     G     A     R     U     O     C     M     R    8       A    6   .     L

    O    4     S    1     R       O    9     T     M     R    5       A    3   .     R

    G    0     E    2       L     8   .    1     L     G    7     E    1       L    5   .     R    1

   e    g    a    m    a     D

   e    g    a    m    a     D

   e    z     i     S

   e    z     i     S

   p     i    r     G

   p     i    r     G

    h    c    a    e     E     R     /     M   e     A    g    n     N    a     R

    h    c    a    e     E     R     /     M   e     A    g    n     N    a     R

   s    n    o    p    a    e     W

    E     G     A     R     U     O     C     M     R    8       A    6   .     L

    O     S    1     R    4       O    9     T     M     R    5       A    3   .     R

    G    0     E    2       L     8   .    1     L     G    7     E    1       L    5   .     R    1

   a    m    u    a    r     T

   s    e     i     t     i     l    a    u     Q

   e    g    a    m    a     D

   e    g    a    m    a     D

   e    z     i     S

   e    z     i     S

   p     i    r     G

   p     i    r     G

    h    c    a    e     E     R     /     M   e     A    g    n     N    a     R

    h    c    a    e     E     R     /     M   e     A    g    n     N    a     R

   s    n    o    p    a    e     W

   s    e     i     t     i     l    a    u     Q

   s    e     i     t     i     l    a    u     Q

   s    e     i     t     i     l    a    u     Q

 .    e    s    u     l    a    n    o    s    r    e    p    r    o     f     t    n    e    m    u    c    o     d    s     i     h     t    y    p    o    c    o     t    o     h    p    o     t     d    e     t    n    a    r    g    s     i    n    o     i    s    s     i    m    r    e     P  .     d     t     L     t    n    e    m    n     i    a     t    r    e     t    n     E    s    u     i     h    p     i     d    o     M    7    1    0    2     ©     &       M     T

 

THE MAN CONAN SEEMED SUDDENLY TO GROW UP IN MY“THEN MIND WITHOUT MUCH LABOR ON MY PART AND IMMEDIATELY  A STREAM OF O F STORIES FLOWED FL OWED OFF MY PEN OR RATHER, OFF MY TYPEWRITER ALMOST WITHOUT EFFORT ON MY PART.” — ROBERT E. HOWARD The Conan Gamemaster’s Toolkit inspires the creation of thrilling plots, unforgettable characters, and unexpected twists in the vein of Robert E. Howard’s singular vision. Generate ideas for exciting action set-pieces, antagonists, scheming machinations, and weave them into a story all your own. Within this resource is a host of rules references for ease during play, as well as a four-panel gamemaster’s screen packed with essential tables from the Conan corebook . Here you have all the tools needed to bring Howard’s world to life. Dip your quill into that deep reservoir of imagination, and write adventures to turn your player’s deeds into legends worthy of Conan himself! ■

■

A full gamemaster’s screen, including the most relevant tables needed during play. A 32-page toolkit lled with random tables and tips to inspire and inform the creation of antagonists, adventures, and dramatic plots!

 

■

■

■

■

A squad sheet, allowing theofgamemaster quick reference for groups enemies to overcome.

Rules references taken from the Conan   corebook and condensed for ease of use. The stunning art of Brom, spread across four panels. Developed with leading Conan scholars, this is the denitive guide to creating and running Conan  adventures  adventures in a savage world that time has all but forgotten.

This book requires the Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of  corebook  corebook to use.

ISBN 978-1-912200-27-6

9 781912 200276

MUH050377 Printed in Germany